Air bag with uninflated pocket

ABSTRACT

An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device ( 14 ) for being inflated between an instrument panel ( 36 ) and a seat ( 22 ) of the vehicle ( 12 ) is provided. The protection device ( 14 ) includes a front portion ( 70 ) that has a panel ( 72 ) presented towards the vehicle seat ( 22 ), a rear portion ( 76 ) adjacent the instrument panel ( 36 ), and top and bottom portions ( 90, 92 ) interconnecting the front portion ( 70 ) and the rear portion ( 76 ) to define an inflatable volume ( 54 ). A pocket ( 100 ) defines an uninflated volume ( 102 ) outside of the inflatable volume ( 54 ). The pocket ( 100 ) is defined by a single panel ( 160 ) of the protection device ( 14 ). The panel ( 100 ) extends along a centerline ( 162 ) and includes an extension ( 180 ) of material on each side of the centerline ( 162 ). The extensions ( 180 ) overly one another and are interconnected along a seam ( 106 ) to form the pocket ( 100 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect anoccupant of a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relatesto an air bag inflatable between an instrument panel and a front seatoccupant of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to provide an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device,such as an air bag, for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle. Oneparticular type of air bag is a frontal air bag inflatable between anoccupant of a front seat of the vehicle and an instrument panel of thevehicle. Such air bags may be driver air bags or passenger air bags.When inflated, the driver and passenger air bags help protect theoccupant from impacts with parts of the vehicle such as the instrumentpanel and/or a steering wheel of the vehicle.

Passenger air bags are typically stored in a deflated condition in ahousing that is mounted to the vehicle instrument panel. An air bag dooris connectable with the housing and/or instrument panel to help encloseand conceal the air bag in a stored condition. Upon deployment of thepassenger air bag, the air bag door opens to permit the air bag to moveto an inflated position. The air bag door opens as a result of forcesexerted on the door by the inflating air bag.

The position of the occupant in the vehicle seat may dictate how the airbag is configured in order to more adequately protect the occupantduring vehicle crashes. For instance, it may be desirable to protect theoccupant from striking or being struck by the deploying air bag withhigh impact forces. Such is the case when the occupant is unbelted and,thus, is positioned closer to the instrument panel during air bagdeployment than a belted occupant. Rearward facing car seats that carryinfants are also positioned on the vehicle seat in a position where anair bag is likely to deploy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an inflatablevehicle occupant protection device for being inflated between aninstrument panel and a seat of the vehicle is provided. The protectiondevice includes a front portion that has a panel presented towards thevehicle seat, a rear portion adjacent the instrument panel, and top andbottom portions interconnecting the front portion and the rear portionto define an inflatable volume. A pocket defines an uninflated volumeoutside of the inflatable volume. The pocket is defined by a singlepanel of the protection device. The panel extends along a centerline andincludes an extension of material on each side of the centerline. Theextensions overly one another and are interconnected along a seam toform the pocket.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, aninflatable vehicle occupant protection device for being inflated betweenan occupant of the vehicle and an instrument panel of the vehicle isprovided. The protection device includes a first panel that extendsalong a centerline and has a first peripheral edge and a secondperipheral edge. The first panel includes an extension on each side ofthe centerline. A second panel has a peripheral edge interconnected withthe first peripheral edge of the first panel along a seam to define aninflatable volume between the first panel and the second panel. Theextensions of the first panel overly one another and are interconnectedalong a seam to define an uninflated volume outside of the inflatablevolume. The first and second panels are interconnected to define a frontportion that has a front panel presented towards the vehicle occupant, arear portion adjacent the instrument panel, and top and bottom portionsinterconnecting the front portion and the rear portion to define aninflatable volume. A pocket defines an uninflated volume outside of theinflatable volume. The extensions of the first panel overly one anotherand are interconnected along a seam to form the pocket. When theprotection device is inflated the pocket has a first material tensionand the remainder of the protection device has a second, higher materialtension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present invention will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art to which the present inventionrelates upon consideration of the following description of the inventionwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view illustrating an apparatus for helping toprotect an occupant of a vehicle an air bag having an uninflated pocketin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the air bag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the air bag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a main panel for constructing theair bag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a front panel for constructing theair bag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a panel for a tether for the airbag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view illustrating the apparatus of FIG. 1 inwhich a tether is omitted;

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of the apparatus of FIG. 8 in which theoccupant is seated in a seat of the vehicle and out-of-position;

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view illustrating an apparatus for helpingto protect an occupant of a vehicle an air bag having an uninflatedpocket in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a first panel for constructingthe air bag of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of a second panel for constructingthe air bag of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of a third panel for constructingthe air bag of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic side view illustrating the apparatus of FIG. 10in which a tether is omitted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus 10 for helping to protect an occupant 20 of a vehicle 12includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device 14 in the formof an air bag. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the air bag 14is a passenger frontal air bag that minimizes interaction with an infant28 within a car seat 26 on a passenger side 24 of the vehicle 12 duringinflation. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus10 disclosed herein could be adapted for car seats 26 in rearward rowsof the vehicle 12, such as a 2^(nd) row, 3^(rd) row, etc., of thevehicle (not shown).

The air bag 14 may be part of an air bag module 30 that includes aninflator 32 and a housing 34. The air bag 14 has a stored condition,indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1, in which the air bag is folded andplaced in the housing 34. The module 30 is mounted to a dash orinstrument panel 36 of the vehicle 12. The housing 34 helps contain andsupport the air bag 14 and inflator 32 in the instrument panel 36.

An air bag door 40 is releasably connected to the instrument panel 36and/or the housing 34. In a closed condition (not shown), the air bagdoor 40 forms a cover for the module 30 and helps enclose the air bag 14in the stored condition in the housing 34. The door 40 is movable to anopened condition illustrated in FIG. 1 to uncover an opening 44 throughwhich the air bag 14 may be deployed from the stored condition in thehousing 34. The door 40 may be connected to the vehicle 12, e.g., theinstrument panel 36, either directly or through the housing 34, by means(not shown), such as a plastic hinge portion, a strap or a tether.

The inflator 32 is actuatable to provide inflation fluid to aninflatable volume 54 of the air bag 14 to deploy the air bag to theinflated condition. The inflator 32 may be of any known type, such asstored gas, solid propellant, augmented, or hybrid. The apparatus 10includes a sensor, illustrated schematically at 50, for sensing an eventfor which inflation of the air bag 14 is desired, such as a collision.The inflator 32 is operatively connected to the sensor 50 via lead wires52.

The air bag 14 can be constructed of any suitable material, such asnylon (e.g., woven nylon 6-6 yarns), and may be constructed in anysuitable manner. For example, the air bag 14 may include one or morepieces or panels of material. If more than one piece or panel is used,the pieces or panels may be interconnected by known means, such assewing, stitching, ultrasonic welding, heat bonding, or adhesives, toform the air bag. The air bag 14 may be uncoated, coated with amaterial, such as a gas impermeable urethane or laminated with amaterial, such as a gas impermeable film. The air bag 14 thus may have agas-tight or substantially gas-tight construction. Those skilled in theart will appreciate that alternative materials, such as polyester yarn,and alternatives coatings, such as silicone, may also be used toconstruct the air bag 14.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the inflated air bag 14 deploys from theinstrument panel 36 in an aft direction toward the vehicle seat 22. Theair bag 14 includes a front portion 70 and a rear portion 76. In thedeployed condition, the front portion 70 is spaced from the instrumentpanel 36 and includes a front panel 72 that is presented towards thevehicle seat 22. The rear portion 76 is positioned adjacent thewindshield 16 and instrument panel 36 and occupies a substantial portionof the space between the windshield and the instrument panel. Lateralportions 78, 80 extend from the front portion 70 to the rear portion 76.The lateral portion 78 is positioned on the inboard side of the vehicle12 and the lateral portion 80 is positioned on the outboard side of thevehicle. The lateral portions 78, 80 may extend substantially parallelto one another.

A top portion 90 is positioned adjacent to the windshield 16 and extendsfrom the rear portion 76 to the front portion 70. A bottom portion 92 ispositioned adjacent to the car seat 26 and extends from the rear portion76 to the front portion 70. Collectively, the front portion 70, rearportion 76, lateral portions 78, 80, top portion 90, and bottom portion92 define the inflatable volume 54 of the air bag 14.

The air bag 14 includes a pocket 100 that is inverted to define anuninflated volume 102 positioned outside of the inflatable volume 54.The inverted pocket 100 extends in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle12 from the rear portion 76 of the air bag 14 towards the front portion70 and may terminate prior to the front portion. As best shown in FIG.4, the inverted pocket 100 divides the bottom portion 92 of the air bag14 into a pair of inflatable lobes 110 positioned on opposite sides ofthe pocket. Alternatively, the inverted pocket 100 may extend throughthe entire air bag 14 a from the rear portion 76 to the front portion 70(not shown) or may be positioned entirely within the front portion,terminating prior to the rear portion (not shown).

A flexible elongated member, such as a tether 120, interconnectsportions of the air bag 14 to help maintain the pocket 100 in aninverted condition during inflation of the air bag 14. The tether 120acts on the pocket 100 such that the size of the uninflated volume 102defined by the inverted pocket remains substantially constant duringinflation of the air bag 14. Additionally or alternatively, the tether120 may act on the inverted pocket 100 to help maintain the uninflatedvolume 102 at or above a predetermined volume when the air bag 14inflates. Although a single tether 120 is illustrated in FIG. 1 formaintaining the pocket 100 in an inverted condition during deployment ofthe air bag 14, more or fewer tethers may be used to connect one or moreportions of the pocket with one or more portions 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 90,92 of the air bag.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate plan views of component parts used to construct theair bag 14 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.The component parts of the air bag 14 include a main panel 160, a frontpanel 190, and a tether 120. As shown in FIG. 5, the main panel 160 maybe formed as one piece of material and extends along a centerline 162from a first end portion 164 to a second end portion 166. The main panel160 includes a first peripheral edge 170 and a second peripheral edge172 connected to the first peripheral edge. The first and secondperipheral edges 170, 172 are symmetric about the centerline 162. Themain panel 160 may also include various openings 174 for accommodatingconnection with the air bag module 30, e.g., the housing 34 and/or theinflator 32.

The first and second peripheral edges 170, 172 include a series ofnotches for helping to assemble the air bag 14. The first peripheraledge 170 includes a first notch 161 adjacent one end of the secondperipheral edge 172, a second notch 163, and a final notch 165 adjacentthe other end of the second peripheral edge. A series of notches arearranged between the second notch 163 and the final notch 165 but areomitted for brevity.

One or more extensions 180 of material extend from the second peripheraledge 172 and away from the first peripheral edge 170. Each extension 180includes an edge 182 and has an arcuate or semicircular contour. Theextensions 180 are symmetrically positioned on opposing sides of thecenterline 162. The extensions 180 may be spaced from one anotherrelative to the centerline 162 or may intersect at the centerline (notshown). In any case, the extensions 180 define portions of the air bag14 used to form the pocket 100 that is inverted to define the uninflatedvolume 102.

As shown in FIG. 6, the front panel 190 may be formed from one piece ofmaterial and has a round shape defined by a peripheral edge 192. Thefront panel 190 forms the front panel 72 of the front portion 70 of theair bag 14 and cooperates with the main panel 160 to form the inflatablevolume 54 of the air bag. The peripheral edge 192 includes a first notch196 and second notch 198 for helping to secure the front panel 190 tothe main panel 160.

As shown in FIG. 7, the tether 120 may be formed as a one piece panel ofmaterial having a first end portion 122 and a second end portion 126.The first end portion 122 includes an edge 130 and the second endportion 126 includes an edge 132. Although the tether 120 is illustratedas having a substantially triangular shape, alternative shapes such assquare, rectangular, arcuate, etc. may also be used. Furthermore, thetether 120 may have a first end portion 122 and/or a second end portion126 that has more than one portion for securing the first end portionand/or the second to multiple portions of the pocket 100 and/or theremainder of the air bag 14 (not shown).

To assemble the air bag 14, the main panel 160 is folded in half aboutthe centerline 162 such that one half, e.g., the left side as viewed inFIG. 5, of the main panel overlies the other half, e.g., the right sideas viewed in FIG. 5. This aligns the first notch 161 with the finalnotch 165. The edges 182 of the extensions 180 overlying one another aresecured together along a seam 106 to form the pocket 100. The seam 106may be formed by known means, such as stitching, ultrasonic welding,heat bonding, adhesives, etc.

Next, the first notch 196 and second notch 198 on the front panel 190are aligned with the aligned notches 161, 165 and the second notch 163,respectively, of the main panel 160. A seam 194 then secures the entirefirst peripheral edge 170 of the main panel 160 to the entire peripheraledge 192 of the front panel 190.

Securing the connecting portions 176 together and the first peripheraledge 170 of the main panel 160 to the peripheral edge 192 of the frontpanel 190 forms and defines the front portion 70, the lateral portions78, 80, the top portion 90, and the bottom portion 92 of the air bag 14(see FIG. 1). The folded over main panel 160 and the front panel 190 incombination define the inflatable volume 54 of the air bag 14.

To invert the pocket 100, the interconnected extensions 180 are invertedinto the inflatable volume 54 of the air bag 14. More specifically, theedges 182 of the extensions 180 are moved in a direction, indicatedgenerally by the arrow labeled A in FIG. 5, towards the first endportion 164 of the main panel 160 until the interconnected extensionsbecome concave. This places the pocket 100 in an inverted conditionpositioned between the first peripheral edge 170 and the secondperipheral edge 172 of the main panel 160.

Referring to FIG. 2, the edge 130 of the first end portion 122 of thetether 120 is secured along a seam 124 to the peripheral edge 182 of thepocket 100. An alignment marker 134 along the edge 130 is aligned withalignment markers 183 on the peripheral edge 182 to help properlyposition the tether 120 on the main panel 160. The edge 132 of thesecond end portion 126 of the tether 120 is secured along a seam 126 toa portion of the air bag 14. The tether 120 may, for example, extendbetween the pocket 100 and the front panel 190 of the air bag 14.

Upon sensing the occurrence of an event for which inflation of the airbag 14 is desired, such as a vehicle collision, the sensor 50 provides asignal to the inflator 32 via the lead wires 52. Upon receiving thesignal from the sensor 50, the inflator 32 is actuated and providesinflation fluid to the inflatable volume 54 of the air bag 14 in a knownmanner. The inflating air bag 14 exerts a force on the door 40, whichmoves the door to the opened condition. The air bag 14 inflates from thestored condition to a deployed condition, such as the fully inflated,deployed, and pressurized condition illustrated in solid lines inFIG. 1. The air bag 14, when inflated, is configured to have minimalinteraction with the infant 28 within the car seat 26

In the fully inflated condition shown in FIG. 1, the front portion 70 ofthe air bag 14 is presented away from the instrument panel 36 and thefront panel 72 is presented facing the vehicle seat 22. The top portion90 extends along windshield 16 and occupies the space between thewindshield and the instrument panel 36. The bottom portion 92 extendsalong the instrument panel 36 and projects from the instrument paneltoward the vehicle seat 22. The inverted pocket 100 in the bottomportion 92 of the air bag 14 is positioned between the front portion 72of the air bag 14 and the instrument panel 36. The position of theinverted pocket 100 when the air bag 14 is inflated is configured tocorrespond with the likely or expected position of the infant 28 withinthe car seat 26. More specifically, the inverted pocket 100 isconfigured to deploy around the infant 28 in the car seat 26, therebyplacing the infant and/or the child car seat or a portion thereof withinthe uninflated volume 102 and between the inflated lobes 110.

Due to the configuration of the pocket 100 and, more specifically theextra material provided by the extensions 180 of the main panel 160, thelobes 110 may have regions of reduced material tension in the area ofthe pocket relative to the remaining portions of the air bag 14. Intypical, substantially spherical air bags, the internal pressure of theinflation gas is equally distributed along the air bag walls. Given auniform pressure and material thickness, the stress on the air bag wallis directly related to the radius of curvature of the air bag, i.e., thelarger the radius of curvature the greater the stress on the air bagwall. Since a substantially spherical air bag construction has aconstant radius of curvature, the stress upon the spherical air bagwalls is constant and, thus, the material tension is constant throughoutthe air bag.

On the other hand, the pocket 100 of the present invention forms aportion of the air bag 14 that has a smaller radius of curvature thanthe rest of the air bag. Therefore, the stress is unevenly distributedbetween the smaller pocket 100 and the larger remainder of the air bag14. Accordingly, the fabric forming the pocket 100, i.e., the extension180, experiences reduced stress and, thus, reduced material tension,relative to the fabric forming the rest of the inflated air bag 14.

The reduced tension in the area of the pocket 100 thereby advantageouslymay help reduce the magnitude of impact forces with those areas duringdeployment. This reduced tension in the area of the pocket 100 may helpprovide a reduced resistance to air bag penetration relative to theremainder of the inflated air bag 14. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the material tension in the area of the pocket 100 and,thus, the level of resistance to penetration of the pocket when the airbag 14 is inflated can be tailored or adjusted by altering the size andshape of the extensions 180 in the main panel 160 and/or of the tether120 to adjust the radius of curvature of the pocket.

As the air bag 14 deploys toward the seat 22, the second end portion 126of the tether 120, being secured to the front panel 72, moves away fromthe instrument panel and toward the seat. Since the first end portion122 of the tether 120 is secured to the pocket 100, the tether providesresistance to movement of the pocket out of the inverted condition shownin FIGS. 1-2 and thus helps maintain the size, position, and orientationof the pocket. Therefore, the tether 120 helps to ensure that the pocket100 is maintained in the desired position relative to the vehicle seat22 and to an infant 28/car seat 26 that may be positioned on the vehicleseat. Advantageously, the tether 120 can help to ensure that the areasof the air bag 14 in the area of the pocket 100 have a reducedresistance to penetration and thereby can produce softer impact forceswith the air bag during deployment.

The simplicity of the construction of the air bag facilitatesmanufacturing by reducing assembly time and material cost. Furthermore,the simple, three panel 120, 160, 190 construction of the air bag 14reduces the number of connections in the air bag and, thus, reduces thelikelihood of the air bag leaking during inflation.

Although the air bag 14 of the present invention has been described ashaving a particular construction, those skilled in the art willappreciate that modifications to the air bag can be made withoutdeviating from the spirit of the invention. The size, shape, andconfiguration of each extension 180 may be configured to form a pocket100 and, thus, a particular uninflated volume 102 that has a particularconfiguration, e.g., size, shape, and orientation, in order to meetdesired performance criteria. For example, the tether 120 may beconfigured such that the second end portion 126 of the tether can besecured to any one or more portions 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 90, 92 of theair bag 14. In particular, the tether 120 may have a pair of second endportions 126 that are secured to the lateral portions 78, 80 of the airbag 14 (not shown). The tether 120 may also exhibit alternative shapesother than triangular, such as square, rectangular, arcuate, etc.Regardless of whether the air bag 14 includes a tether 120, theextensions 180 may be configured to exhibit a shape other than arcuatesuch as square, triangular, rectangular or the like:

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative construction of the air bag 14 inwhich the tether 120 is omitted. In this configuration, the main panel160 and the front panel 190 are secured together in the mannerdescribed. The pocket 100 formed by interconnecting the extensions 180on the main panel 160 is then inverted to place the pocket in aninverted condition positioned between the first peripheral edge 170 andthe second peripheral edge 172 of the main panel. The air bag 14 is thenstored with the untethered pocket 100 in the inverted condition.

In the fully inflated condition shown in FIG. 8, the front portion 70 ofthe air bag 14 is presented away from the instrument panel 36 and thefront panel 72 is presented facing the vehicle seat 22. The top portion90 extends along windshield 16 and occupies the space between thewindshield and the instrument panel 36. The bottom portion 92 extendsalong the instrument panel 36 and projects from the instrument paneltoward the vehicle seat 22. The untethered, inverted pocket 100 in thebottom portion 92 of the air bag 14 is positioned between the frontportion 72 of the air bag 14 and the instrument panel 36. The positionof the inverted pocket 100 when the air bag 14 is inflated is configuredto correspond with the likely or expected position of the infant 28within the car seat 26. More specifically, the inverted pocket 100 isconfigured to deploy around the infant 28 in the car seat 26, therebyplacing the infant and/or the child car seat or a portion thereof withinthe uninflated volume 102 and between the inflated lobes 110.

Since the pocket 100 in the air bag 14 of FIG. 8 is untethered to theremainder of the air bag, the pocket begins to unfurl outward and awayfrom the inflatable volume 54 as the air bag deploys, thereby reducingthe size of the uninflated volume 102. The untethered pocket 100 expandsoutward toward the infant 28 until impacting the infant and/or car seat26. When this occurs, the reduced material tension in the fabric formingthe pocket 100 relative to the fabric forming the rest of the inflatedair bag 14 causes the pocket to retain an inverted condition uponimpacting the infant 28 and/or car seat 26. In other words, the reactionforces of the infant 28 and/or car seat 26 upon the reduced materialtension pocket 100 are sufficient to prevent the pocket from fullyexpanding outward when impacting the infant and/or car seat.

Portions of the pocket 100 that do not impact the infant 28 or car seat26 may fully unfurl around the infant and car seat, thereby turninginside out to define a second inflatable volume 103 that supplements theinflatable volume 102. The second inflatable volume 103 may bepositioned between the car seat 26 and the instrument panel 36 and maytherefore help to limit or prevent movement of the car seat towards theinstrument panel 36.

The reduced tension in the area of the untethered, inverted pocket 100thereby advantageously may help reduce the magnitude of impact forceswith those areas during deployment. This reduced tension in the area ofthe untethered pocket 100 may help provide a reduced resistance to airbag penetration relative to the remainder of the inflated air bag 14.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the material tension inthe area of the untethered pocket 100 and, thus, the level of resistanceto penetration of the pocket when the air bag 14 is inflated can betailored or adjusted by altering the size and shape of the extensions180 in the main panel 160 to adjust the radius of curvature of thepocket.

FIG. 9 illustrates deployment of the air bag 14 of FIG. 8 when thevehicle seat 22 is occupied by an out-of-position occupant 20. In thefully inflated condition shown in FIG. 9, the position of the invertedpocket 100 when the air bag 14 is inflated is configured to correspondwith the likely or expected position of the out-of-position occupant 20.More specifically, the inverted pocket 100 is configured to deployaround the out-of-position occupant 20, thereby placing the head 21 ofthe out-of-position occupant within the uninflated volume 102 andbetween the inflated lobes 110.

Since the pocket 100 in the air bag 14 of FIG. 9 is untethered to theremainder of the air bag, the pocket begins to unfurl outward and awayfrom the inflatable volume 54 as the air bag deploys, thereby reducingthe size of the uninflated volume 102. The untethered pocket 100 expandsoutward toward the out-of-position occupant 20 until impacting theout-of-position occupant. When this occurs, the reduced material tensionin the fabric forming the pocket 100 relative to the fabric forming therest of the inflated air bag 14 causes the pocket to retain an invertedcondition upon impacting the out-of-position occupant 20. In otherwords, the reaction forces of the out-of-position occupant 20 upon thereduced material tension pocket 100 are sufficient to prevent the pocketfrom fully expanding outward when impacting the out-of-positionoccupant.

Portions of the pocket 100 that do not impact the out-of-positionoccupant 20 may fully unfurl around the out-of-position occupant,thereby turning inside out to define a second inflatable volume 103 thatsupplements the inflatable volume 102. The second inflatable volume 103may be positioned between the out-of-position occupant 20 and theinstrument panel 36 and may therefore help to limit or prevent movementof the out-of-position occupant towards the instrument panel 36.

The reduced tension in the area of the untethered, inverted pocket 100advantageously may help reduce the magnitude of impact forces with thoseareas during deployment. This reduced tension in the area of theuntethered pocket 100 may help provide a reduced resistance to air bagpenetration relative to the remainder of the inflated air bag 14. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the material tension in the areaof the untethered pocket 100 and, thus, the level of resistance topenetration of the pocket when the air bag 14 is inflated can betailored or adjusted by altering the size and shape of the extensions180 in the main panel 160 to adjust the radius of curvature of thepocket.

When the out-of-position occupant 20 moves toward the inflated air bag14, the occupant's head 21 penetrates the front panel 72 of the air bagnearer the bottom portion 92. The bottom portion 92 of the air bag 14between the occupant's head 21 and the instrument panel 36 has a reducedvolume compared to the remainder of the air bag. In particular, thedepth of the bottom portion 92 of the air bag 14, indicated by D1, isless than the depth of the entire air bag between the front panel 72 aand the rearmost edge, indicated by D2. The reduced inflation depth atthe bottom portion 92 results in a reduced resistance to penetration bythe occupant 20 compared to the resistance provided by the air bag 14along its entire inflated depth. The penetrating occupant 20 therebyexperiences reduced impact forces at the bottom portion 92 compared toimpacting deeper inflated portions of the air bag 14 a.

Furthermore, the second inflatable volume 103 provided by the inside-outportion of the pocket 100 helps to limit or prevent movement of thebottom portion 92 of the air bag 14 towards the instrument panel 36. Thesecond inflatable volume 103 thereby acts as a reaction surface for thebottom portion 92 of the air bag 14 to help minimize reaction forcesbetween the out-of-position occupant 20 and the instrument panel 36.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the airbag 14 a is a passenger frontal air bag for helping to protect anoccupant 20 of the seat 22 on the passenger side 24 of the vehicle 12.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the air bag 14 a disclosedherein could be adapted for a driver side vehicle occupant (not shown).Such a construction of the air bag 14 a is shown in FIGS. 10-11.Features in FIGS. 10-11 that are identical to features in FIGS. 1-7 aregiven identical reference numbers, whereas features in FIGS. 10-11 thatare similar to features in FIGS. 1-7 are given reference numbers withthe suffix “a”.

As shown in FIGS. 10-11, the air bag 14 a includes a front portion 70 a,a rear portion 76 a, a top portion 90 a, a bottom portion 92 a, andlateral portions 78 a, 80 a. Together, the portions 70 a, 76 a, 78 a, 80a, 90 a, 92 a define the inflatable volume 54 a of the air bag 14 a. Theair bag 14 a further includes a pocket 100 a that extends from the frontportion 70 a towards the rear portion 76 a of the air bag. The pocket100 a defines an uninflated volume 102 a for helping to protect theoccupant 20 of the vehicle 12. The pocket 100 a divides the frontportion 70 a of the air bag 14 a into a pair of inflatable lobes 110 apositioned on opposite sides of the pocket.

FIGS. 12-14 illustrate plan views of component parts used to constructthe air bag 14 a in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. The component parts of the air bag 14 a include a first panel300, a second panel 330, and a third panel 350 that are interconnectedto define the inflatable volume 54 a of the air bag. As shown in FIG.12, the first panel 300 may be formed from one piece of material and hasa substantially triangular shape defined by first, second, and thirdperipheral edges 302, 304, 306. The first peripheral edge 302 may havean arcuate contour and connects the second peripheral edge 304 to thethird peripheral edge 306. The second and third peripheral edges 304,306 extend substantially perpendicular to one another. The first panel300 may also include various openings 308 for accommodating a connectionwith the air bag module 30, e.g., the housing 34 and/or inflator 32.

The first and second peripheral edges 302, 306 include a series ofnotches for helping to assemble the air bag 14 a. The first peripheraledge 302 includes a first notch 303 adjacent to the third peripheraledge 306, a second 305, and a final notch 307 adjacent to the secondperipheral edge 304. A series of notches are arranged between the thirdnotch 305 and the final notch 307 but are omitted for brevity. The thirdperipheral edge 306 includes a first notch 309 adjacent to the opening308 and a second notch 311 positioned adjacent to the first peripheraledge 302.

The first panel 300 may include one or more tethers 310, 320 that extendfrom the first panel. As shown in FIG. 12, the first panel 300 includesa first tether 310 that extends from the second peripheral edge 304 anda second tether 320 that extends from the third peripheral edge 306. Thefirst tether 310 and/or the second tether 320 may be secured to orintegral with the second peripheral edge 304 and the third peripheraledge 306, respectively. The first tether 310 includes a first endportion 312 that extends away from the second peripheral edge 304 and asecond end portion 316 connected to the second peripheral edge. Thesecond tether 320 includes a first end portion 322 that extends awayfrom the third peripheral edge 306 and a second end portion 326connected to the third peripheral edge. The tethers 310, 320 may bepositioned at opposite ends of the first panel 300 or may be positionedadjacent to one another (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 13, the second panel 330 may be formed from one pieceof material and has a substantially triangular shape defined by first,second, and third peripheral edges 332, 334, 336. The first peripheraledge 332 may have an arcuate contour and connects the second peripheraledge 334 to the third peripheral edge 336. The second and thirdperipheral edges 334, 336 may extend substantially perpendicular to oneanother or may extend at another angle relative to one another. Thesecond panel 330 may also include various openings 338 for accommodatinga connection with the air bag module 30, e.g., the housing 34 and/or theinflator 32.

The first peripheral edge 332 includes a first notch 340 adjacent to thethird peripheral edge 336, a second notch 342, and a final notch 344adjacent to the second peripheral edge 334. A series of notches arearranged between the second notch 342 and the final notch 344 but areomitted for brevity. The third peripheral edge 336 includes a firstnotch 337 adjacent to the openings 338 and a second notch 339 adjacentto the first peripheral edge 339.

Although the first and second panels 300, 330 are illustrated as beingseparate panels of material, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the first and second panels could likewise be formed together as asingle panel of material. For example, portions of first panel 300adjacent to the openings 338, e.g., portions of the second and thirdperipheral edges 304, 306, may be configured and shaped to be integrallyformed with portions of the second panel 330 adjacent to the openings338, e.g., portions of the second and third peripheral edges 334, 336,such that the first and second panels may be formed as a single piece ofmaterial (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 14, the third panel 350 has a generally round shape andforms the front panel 72 a of the air bag 14 a. The third panel 350 maybe formed as one piece of material and extends along a centerline 352from a first end portion 354 to a second end portion 356. The thirdpanel 350 includes a first peripheral edge 358 and a second peripheraledge 360 connected to the first peripheral edge. The first and secondperipheral edges 358, 360 are symmetric about the centerline 352 and areeach spaced from the centerline.

One or more extensions 362 of material extend from the first peripheraledge 358 and away from the first peripheral edge. One or more extensions370 of material likewise extend from the second peripheral edge 360 andaway from the second peripheral edge. As shown in FIG. 14, a singleextension 362 extends from the first peripheral edge 358 and a singleextension 370 extends from the second peripheral edge 360. Eachextension 362, 370 has an arcuate or semicircular contour, although theextensions may have alternative shapes, such as square, triangular,rectangular or the like. The extensions 362, 370 are symmetricallypositioned on opposing sides of the centerline 352. The extensions 362,370 may intersect at the centerline 352 or may be spaced from oneanother relative to the centerline (not shown).

The first peripheral edge 358 includes a first notch 351 adjacent to theextension 362, a second notch 353, and a final notch 355 adjacent to theextension 362. A series of notches are arranged between the second notch353 and the final notch 355 but are omitted for brevity. The secondperipheral edge 360 includes a first notch 357 adjacent to the extension370, a second notch 359, and a final notch 361 adjacent to the extension370. A series of notches are arranged between the second notch 359 andthe final notch 361 but are omitted for brevity.

To assemble the air bag 14 a, the second peripheral edge 304 of thefirst panel 300 is secured to the second peripheral edge 334 of thesecond panel 330 along a seam (not shown) and the third peripheral edge306 of the first panel is secured to the third peripheral edge 336 ofthe second panel along a seam (not shown). In particular, the first andsecond notches 337, 339 on the second peripheral edge 336 of the secondpanel 330 are aligned with the first and second notches 309, 311,respectively, of the second peripheral edge 306 of the first panel 300.The seam (not shown) then secures the entire second peripheral edge 336of the second panel 330 to the entire second peripheral edge 306 of thefirst panel 300.

The extensions 362, 370 on the third panel 350 are folded relative tothe remainder of the third panel such that the extensions overlie oneanother. In other words, the extensions 362, 370 are inverted relativeto the remainder of the third panel 350. In particular, the third panel350 is folded such that the first peripheral edges 364, 372 are alignedwith one another and the second peripheral edges 366, 374 are alignedwith one another. The first peripheral edge 364 of the extension 362 issecured to the first peripheral edge 372 of the extension 370 along aseam 368 (FIG. 11). Alignment markers 365 on the extension 362 arealigned with alignment markers 375 on the extension 370 to properlyposition the extensions in an overlying manner.

The second peripheral edge 366 of the extension 362 is likewise securedto the second peripheral edge 374 of the extension 370 along a seam 376.The extensions 362, 370 are thereby interconnected along separate,spaced-apart seams 368, 376. Together, the interconnected extensions362, 370 form the pocket 100 a.

The first peripheral edge 358 of the third panel 350 is secured to thefirst peripheral edge 302 of the first panel 300 along a seam (notshown) and the second peripheral edge 360 of the third panel is securedto the first peripheral edge 332 of the second panel 330 along a seam(not shown). In particular, the first, second, and final notches 303,305, 307 on the first peripheral edge 302 of the first panel 300 arealigned with the first, second, and final notches 351, 353, 355respectively, of the first peripheral edge 358 of the third panel 350.The seam (not shown) then secures the entire first peripheral edge 358of the third panel 350 to the entire first peripheral edge 302 of thefirst panel 300.

The first, second, and final notches 340, 342, 344 on the firstperipheral edge 332 of the second panel 330 are aligned with the first,second, and final notches 357, 359, 361 respectively, of the secondperipheral edge 360 of the third panel 350. The seam (not shown) thensecures the entire second peripheral edge 360 of the third panel 350 tothe entire first peripheral edge 332 of the second panel 330.

Next, the interconnected first peripheral edges 364, 372 of theextensions 362, 370 are secured to the edge 324 of the first end portion322 of the tether 320 on the first panel 300 along a seam 380. Theinterconnected second peripheral edges 366, 374 of the extensions 362,370 are secured to the edge 314 of the first end portion 314 of thetether 310 on the first panel 300 along a seam 382. Securing the first,second, and third panels 300, 330, 350 together forms and defines thefront portion 70 a, the rear portion 76 a, the lateral portions 78 a, 80a, the top portion 90 a, and the bottom portion 92 a of the air bag 14a. The first, second, and third panels 300, 330, 350, when securedtogether, also cooperate to define the inflatable volume 54 a of the airbag 14 a.

The first, second, and third panels 300, 330, 350 are secured to oneanother such that the pocket 100 a and the tethers 310, 320 extendinward toward the inflatable volume 54 a of the air bag 14 a. When theair bag 14 a is inflated, the pocket extends away from the front panel72 a of the air bag towards the rear portion 76 a to define theuninflated volume 102 a that is positioned outside the inflatable volume54 a of the air bag. In other words, the pocket 100 a is invertedrelative to the front panel 72 a towards the rear portion 76 a of theair bag 14 a.

The tethers 310, 320 act on the pocket 100 a, i.e., the interconnectedextensions 362, 370, such that the size of the uninflated volume 102 aremains substantially constant during inflation of the air bag 14 a.Alternatively or additionally, the tethers 310, 320 may act on thepocket 100 a to help maintain the uninflated volume 102 a at or above apredetermined volume when the air bag 14 a inflates. The tethers 310,320 may, for example, extend between the pocket 100 a and the rearportion 76 a of the air bag 14 a.

Upon sensing the occurrence of an event for which inflation of the airbag 14 a is desired, such as a vehicle collision, the sensor 50 providesa signal to the inflator 32 via the lead wires 52. Upon receiving thesignal from the sensor 50, the inflator 32 is actuated and providesinflation fluid to the inflatable volume 54 a of the air bag 14 a in aknown manner. The inflating air bag 14 a exerts a force on the door 40,which moves the door to the opened condition. The air bag 14 a inflatesfrom the stored condition to a deployed condition, such as the fullyinflated, deployed, and pressurized condition illustrated in solid linesin FIG. 10. The air bag 14 a, when inflated, helps protect the vehicleoccupant 20 from impacts with parts of the vehicle 12, such as theinstrument panel 36.

In the fully inflated condition shown in FIGS. 10-11, the front portion70 a of the air bag 14 a is positioned away from the instrument panel 36and the front panel 72 a is presented facing the vehicle seat 22. Thetop portion 90 a extends along the windshield 16 and occupies the spacebetween the windshield and the instrument panel 36. The bottom portion92 a extends along the instrument panel 36 and projects from theinstrument panel toward the vehicle seat 22.

The pocket 100 a extends from the front portion 72 a of the air bag 14 atowards the rear portion 76 a. The position of the pocket 100 a when theair bag 14 a is inflated is configured to correspond with the likely orexpected position of the head 21 of the occupant 20 when normallypositioned on the seat 22. More specifically, the pocket 100 a isconfigured to deploy to a position that is aligned with the head 21 ofthe normally positioned occupant 20 such that movement of the occupanttowards the instrument panel 36 during a vehicle crash results in theoccupant's head initially moving into the uninflated space 102 a of thepocket 100 a rather that engaging either of the inflated lobes 110 a oneither side of the uninflated space.

As the air bag 14 a deploys toward the occupant 20, the first endportion 322 of the tether 320, being secured to the first peripheraledges 364, 372 of the pocket 100 a, and the first end portion 312 of thetether 310, being secured to the second peripheral edges 366, 374 of thepocket, move away from the instrument panel and toward the occupant 20.Since the second end portions 316, 326 of the tethers 310, 320 aresecured to the rear portion 76 a adjacent to the instrument panel 36 thetethers provide resistance to movement of the pocket 100 a out of theinverted condition shown in FIGS. 10-11 and thus helps maintain thesize, position, and orientation of the pocket.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the air bag 14 a deploys, the pocket 100 a isconfigured to extend in a substantially vertical direction along thefront portion 70 a of the air bag between the top portion 90 a and thebottom portion 92 a. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that thepocket 100 a may alternatively be configured to extend at an anglerelative to the front portion 70 a and between the lateral portions 78a, 80 a of the air bag (not shown) in accordance with the presentinvention.

When the normally seated belted or unbelted occupant 20 moves toward theinflated air bag 14 a, the occupant's head 21 enters into the uninflatedvolume 102 a of the pocket 100 a rather than penetrating the inflatedlobes 110 a of the air bag. The portion of the air bag 14 a between thepocket 100 a and the instrument panel 36 has a reduced volume comparedto the remainder of the air bag, e.g., the volume of the inflated lobes110 a. In particular, the depth of the air bag 14 a from the pocket 100a to the rearmost edge of the air bag, indicated by D3, is less than thedepth of the entire air bag between the front panel 72 a and therearmost edge, indicated by D4. The reduced inflation depth at thepocket 100 a results in a reduced resistance to penetration by theoccupant 20 compared to the resistance provided by the air bag 14 aalong its entire inflated depth. The penetrating occupant 20 therebyexperiences reduced impact forces at the pocket 100 a compared toimpacting deeper inflated portions, e.g., the lobes 110 a, of the airbag 14 a.

As with the pocket 100, due to the configuration of the pocket 100 aand, more specifically the extra material provided by the tethers 310,320 and the extensions 362, 372 of the third panel 350, the pocket ismaintained in the desired position relative to the vehicle seat 22 andto an occupant 20 that may be positioned on the vehicle seat.Advantageously, the tethers 310, 320 can help ensure that the areas ofthe air bag 14 in the area of the pocket 100 a have a reduced resistanceto penetration and thereby can produce softer impact forces with the airbag during deployment. Furthermore, as with the pocket 100, the pocket100 a forms a portion of the air bag 14 a that has a smaller radius ofcurvature than the rest of the air bag. Accordingly, the fabric formingthe pocket 100 a, i.e., the extensions 362, 370, experiences reducedstress relative to the rest of the inflated air bag 14 a, therebyhelping to provide a reduced fabric tension within the pocket that mayhelp to reduce resistance to air bag penetration relative to theremainder of the inflated air bag.

FIG. 15 illustrates an alternative construction of the air bag 14 a inwhich the tethers 310, 320 are omitted from the first panel 300. In thisconfiguration, the first, second and third panels 300, 330, 350 aresecured together in the manner described with the exception that theinterconnected first peripheral edges 364, 372 and interconnected secondperipheral edges 366, 374 of the extensions 362, 370 are not secured toanother portion of the air bag 14 a. The pocket 100 a is formed andinverted by interconnecting the extensions 362, 370 on the third panel350. The air bag 14 a is then stored with the untethered pocket 100 a inthe inverted condition.

In the fully inflated condition shown in FIG. 15, the front portion 70 aof the air bag 14 a is positioned away from the instrument panel 36 andthe front panel 72 a is presented facing the vehicle seat 22. The topportion 90 a extends along the windshield 16 and occupies the spacebetween the windshield and the instrument panel 36. The bottom portion92 a extends along the instrument panel 36 and projects from theinstrument panel toward the vehicle seat 22.

The untethered, inverted pocket 100 a extends from the front portion 72a of the air bag 14 a towards the rear portion 76 a. The position of theuntethered pocket 100 a when the air bag 14 a is inflated is configuredto correspond with the likely or expected position of the head 21 of theoccupant 20 when normally positioned on the seat 22. As shown in FIG.15, when the air bag 14 a deploys, the untethered pocket 100 a isconfigured to extend in a substantially vertical direction along thefront portion 70 a of the air bag between the top portion 90 a and thebottom portion 92 a. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that theuntethered pocket 100 a may alternatively be configured to extend at anangle relative to the front portion 70 a and between the lateralportions 78 a, 80 a of the air bag (not shown) in accordance with thepresent invention.

When the normally seated belted or unbelted occupant 20 moves toward theinflated air bag 14 a, the occupant's head 21 enters into the uninflatedvolume 102 a of the pocket 100 a rather than penetrating the inflatedlobes 110 a of the air bag. Simultaneously, since the pocket 100 a inthe air bag 14 a of FIG. 15 is untethered to the remainder of the airbag, the pocket begins to unfurl outward and away from the inflatablevolume 54 a as the air bag deploys, thereby reducing the size of theuninflated volume 102 a. The untethered pocket 100 a expands outwardtoward the penetrating occupant 20 until impacting the occupant. Whenthis occurs, the reduced material tension in the fabric forming thepocket 100 a relative to the fabric forming the rest of the inflated airbag 14 a causes the pocket to retain an inverted condition uponimpacting the occupant 20. In other words, the reaction forces of thepenetrating occupant 20 upon the reduced material tension pocket 100 aare sufficient to prevent the pocket from fully expanding outward whenimpacting the occupant. The penetrating occupant 20 thereby experiencesreduced impact forces at the untethered pocket 100 a compared toimpacting deeper inflated portions, e.g., the lobes 110 a, of the airbag 14 a. Portions of the pocket 100 a that do not impact the occupant20 may fully unfurl, i.e., turn inside out, around portions of theoccupant, thereby forming a second inflatable volume 103 thatsupplements the inflatable volume 54 a of the air bag 14 a.

As with the untethered pocket 100, the untethered pocket 100 a forms aportion of the air bag 14 a that has a smaller radius of curvature thanthe rest of the air bag. Accordingly, the fabric forming the untetheredpocket 100 a, i.e., the extensions 362, 370, experiences reduced stressrelative to the rest of the inflated air bag 14 a, thereby helping toprovide a reduced fabric tension within the pocket that may help toreduce resistance to air bag penetration relative to the remainder ofthe inflated air bag.

Although the air bag 14 a of the present invention has been described ashaving a particular construction, those skilled in the art willappreciate that modifications to the air bag can be made withoutdeviating from the spirit of the invention. The size, shape, number, andconfiguration of the extensions 362, 370 may be configured to form apocket 100 a and, thus, a particular uninflated volume 102 a that has aparticular configuration, e.g., size, shape, and orientation, in orderto meet desired performance criteria. For example, the tethers 310, 320may be configured to be secured to any one or more portions 70 a, 72 a,76 a, 78 a, 80 a, 90 a, 92 a of the air bag 14 a. In particular, eachtether 310, 320 may be secured to one of the lateral portions 78 a, 80 aof the air bag 14 a. The tethers 310, 320 may also exhibit alternativeshapes other than triangular, such as square, rectangular, arcuate, etc.Regardless of whether the air bag 14 a includes tethers 310, 320, theextensions 362, 370 may be configured to exhibit a shape other thanarcuate such as square, triangular, rectangular or the like.

From the above description of the invention, those skilled in the artwill perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Suchimprovements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art areintended to be covered by the appended claims.

1. An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for being inflatedbetween an instrument panel and a seat of the vehicle, the protectiondevice comprising: a front portion having a panel presented towards thevehicle seat; a rear portion adjacent the instrument panel; top andbottom portions interconnecting the front portion and the rear portionto define an inflatable volume; and a pocket defining an uninflatedvolume outside of the inflatable volume, the pocket being defined by asingle panel of the protection device, the panel extending along acenterline and including an extension of material on each side of thecenterline, the extensions overlying one another and beinginterconnected along a seam to form the pocket.
 2. The inflatablevehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 1, wherein thepocket extends from the rear portion towards the front portion andterminates prior to the front portion.
 3. The inflatable vehicleoccupant protection device recited in claim 1, wherein the pocketextends from the front portion towards the rear portion and terminatesprior to the rear portion.
 4. The inflatable vehicle occupant protectiondevice recited in claim 1 further comprising a tether having a first endportion secured to the pocket and a second end portion secured to aportion of the protection device such that the size of the uninflatedvolume remains larger than a predetermined amount when the protectiondevice is inflated.
 5. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection devicerecited in claim 4, wherein the second end portion of the tether issecured to the top portion of the protection device.
 6. The inflatablevehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 4, wherein thesecond end portion of the tether is secured to the front panel of theprotection device.
 7. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection devicerecited in claim 1, wherein the panel extends from a first end portionto a second end portion, the interconnected extensions extending fromthe second end portion away from the first end portion to form thepocket.
 8. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited inclaim 7, the interconnected extensions having an inverted conditionextending towards the first end portion to invert the pocket.
 9. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 1,wherein the panel extends from a first end portion to a second endportion, the interconnected extensions being positioned between thefirst end portion and the second end portion.
 10. The inflatable vehicleoccupant protection device recited in claim 9, wherein each extensionincludes a first peripheral edge and a second peripheral edge spacedfrom the first peripheral edge, the first peripheral edges of theextensions being interconnected along a first seam and the secondperipheral edges of the extensions being interconnected along a secondseam to form the pocket.
 11. The inflatable vehicle occupant protectiondevice recited in claim 10 further comprising: a first tether having afirst end portion secured to the first peripheral edges of theextensions and a second end portion secured to a portion of theprotection device; and a second tether having a first end portionsecured to the second peripheral edges of the extensions and a secondend portion secured to a portion of the protection device, the first andsecond tethers cooperating with the first and second peripheral edges ofthe extensions to maintain the uninflated volume above a predeterminedvolume when the protection device is inflated.
 12. The inflatablevehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 11, wherein thefirst and second tethers are formed as part of a second panel of theprotection device.
 13. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection devicerecited in claim 10, wherein the first and second peripheral edges arepositioned in the front portion of the protection device.
 14. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 10,wherein the first peripheral edges are positioned in the top portion andthe second peripheral edges are positioned in the bottom portion. 15.The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 9,wherein the pocket is formed in the front portion.
 16. The inflatablevehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 1, wherein theextensions are interconnected by a plurality of spaced apart seams. 17.The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 1,wherein the extensions are arcuate.
 18. The inflatable vehicle occupantprotection device recited in claim 1, wherein the each extension isspaced from the centerline.
 19. The inflatable vehicle occupantprotection device recited in claim 1, wherein the extensions areconnected along the centerline along an unseamed portion.
 20. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 1,wherein when the protection device is inflated the pocket has a firstmaterial tension that provides a first resistance to occupantpenetration and the remainder of the protection device has a second,higher material tension that provides a second resistance to occupantpenetration that is greater than the first resistance.
 21. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 1,wherein the pocket defines an uninflated volume outside of theinflatable volume prior to inflation of the protection device, thepocket defining a second inflatable volume when the protection device isinflated.
 22. An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for beinginflated between an occupant of the vehicle and an instrument panel ofthe vehicle, the protection device comprising: a first panel extendingalong a centerline and having a first peripheral edge and a secondperipheral edge, the first panel including an extension on each side ofthe centerline; and a second panel having a peripheral edgeinterconnected with the first peripheral edge of the first panel todefine an inflatable volume between the first panel and the secondpanel; the extensions of the first panel overlying one another and beinginterconnected to define a pocket having an uninflated volume outside ofthe inflatable volume, wherein when the protection device is inflatedthe pocket has a first material tension and the remainder of theprotection device has a second, higher material tension.
 23. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 22,wherein the pocket defines an uninflated volume outside of theinflatable volume prior to inflation of the protection device, thepocket defining a second inflatable volume when the protection device isinflated.
 24. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device recitedin claim 22, wherein the first and second panels are interconnected todefine: a front portion having a front panel presented towards thevehicle occupant; a rear portion adjacent the instrument panel; and topand bottom portions interconnecting the front portion and the rearportion to define an inflatable volume.
 25. The inflatable vehicleoccupant protection device recited in claim 24, wherein the pocketextends from the rear portion towards the front portion and terminatesprior to the front portion.
 26. The inflatable vehicle occupantprotection device recited in claim 24, wherein the pocket extends fromthe front portion towards the rear portion and terminates prior to therear portion.
 27. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection devicerecited in claim 24 further comprising a tether having a first endportion secured to the pocket and a second end portion secured to aportion of the protection device.
 28. The inflatable vehicle occupantprotection device recited in claim 27, wherein the second end portion ofthe tether is secured to the top portion of the protection device. 29.The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 27,wherein the second end portion of the tether is secured to the frontpanel of the protection device.
 30. The inflatable vehicle occupantprotection device recited in claim 22, wherein the first panel extendsfrom a first end portion to a second end portion, the interconnectedextensions extending from the second end portion towards the first endportion to form the pocket.
 31. The inflatable vehicle occupantprotection device recited in claim 30, the interconnected extensionshaving an inverted condition extending towards the first end portion toinvert the pocket.
 32. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection devicerecited in claim 22, wherein the panel extends from a first end portionto a second end portion, the interconnected extensions being positionedbetween the first end portion and the second end portion.
 33. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 22,wherein each extension includes a first peripheral edge and a secondperipheral edge spaced from the first peripheral edge, the firstperipheral edges of the extensions being interconnected along a firstseam and the second peripheral edges of the extensions beinginterconnected along a second seam to form the pocket.
 34. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 33further comprising: a first tether having a first end portion secured tothe first peripheral edges of the extensions and a second end portionsecured to a portion of the protection device; and a second tetherhaving a first end portion secured to the second peripheral edges of theextensions and a second end portion secured to a portion of theprotection device, the first and second tethers cooperating with thefirst and second peripheral edges of the extensions to maintain theuninflated volume above a predetermined volume when the protectiondevice is inflated.
 35. The inflatable vehicle occupant protectiondevice recited in claim 34, wherein the first and second tethers areformed as part of a second panel of the protection device.
 36. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 33,wherein the first and second peripheral edges are positioned in thefront portion of the protection device.
 37. The inflatable vehicleoccupant protection device recited in claim 33, wherein the firstperipheral edges are positioned in the top portion and the secondperipheral edges are positioned in the bottom portion.
 38. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 33,wherein the extensions are interconnected by a plurality of spaced apartseams.
 39. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited inclaim 33, wherein the extensions are arcuate.
 40. The inflatable vehicleoccupant protection device recited in claim 33, wherein each extensionis spaced from the centerline.
 41. The inflatable vehicle occupantprotection device recited in claim 33, wherein the extensions areconnected along the centerline along an unseamed portion.
 42. Theinflatable vehicle occupant protection device recited in claim 22,wherein the first material tension provides a first resistance tooccupant penetration and the second material tension provides a secondresistance to occupant penetration that is greater than the firstresistance.